Slot-closing mechanism for coin-controlled vending-machines.



A. 0. GROVER SLOT CLOSING MECHANISMFOR COIN CONTROLLED-VENDING MACHHJES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-24, 1916.

Patented Oct.- 16, 1917.

R U 2 w g f W F a W 4 w 7 2 8 2 2 a s w 6 a .3, 2 2 2 2 5 2 r 5 3 5 u lberl l7, Grow??? snares i ALBERT njenovnn, on NEW YoRK; iv.

PAT-NT onr en Y., nssreivon TO AUTOSALES Gm AN CHOCOLATE GOMPANY,"A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. v

lsnor onosnve MECHANISM ron COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINES.

Original application' filed December 17 controlledvending machines, and the claims in this present application are confined t o theslotclosing mechanism set forth in said parent'case. y 1 j p i The slot-closer "of mypresent invention automatically" closes the coin e'ntrancesl'ot when the coin-controlled ejecting member reaches a predetermined position-whichp6 sition isreachedwhenthe supply of goods 7 in the machine becomes exhausted.

Viewed in another aspect, my invention comprises a combined washer-catcherand slot-closer which prevents the insertion into the coin-entrance "slotof washers oriings and is so controlled by the delivery .mechanism as to close or obstruct the coin-entrance slot when the goods are exhausted. V A preferred form of construction embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows front elevation of the machine, with the front wall partly broken away to ex'poseth'e interior mechanism.

Fig. 2 is asideelevution ofFig. 1 looking toward the leftfwith the side wall partly broken'away forthe sake of clearness; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view; with portionsof the top plate broken away to show theparts beneath V V p The casing Av of the machine may be of any approved construction and ispreferably made of two metallic se'cti ons-a rear or box like section 1 anda front-plateseetion 2 which is hinged to the rear section at 3. Inside of the casing, A is 'a magazine M i which is provided, with a plurality of shelves 4 hinged to the back plate of the magazine at 5. In the present instance, I have shown two shelves, but it' is obvious thenuinher may be varied; The purpose of the shelvesi is tosuppoi't the 'vendable goods,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. is, 1917.

1914;Seria1No."877;e47, Divided and this application filed January 24,1916. Serial no; 73,776. 7

each shelf being adapted to support one packages The right hand hinge of each shelf is provided with a curved extension 6 adapted to engage with the vertically slidablebar 7. The extension 6 of thehpper shelf 4 engages in the slot 8 of theoperating plate or bar 7, while the extension 6 of the lower shelfe: engages in the slot '9. The

slots 8 and 9 of the operating bar 7 are so arranged that the first downward movement of thebar causestilting of thelower shelf, while the next downward movement of the bar trips the upper shelf. For this purpose the slot 93s provided with an angular trippingportio'nlt) and a vertical rest portion 11.}Theslot 8 is 'provided "with a vertical i'est'port'ion 12 and anengulartrip portion 13; The barxisyieldingly held in its diffrent positions by a spring'le having a head 15 adapted'to enga'ge in the notches 16 17 and 18 of the bar 7. p

Actuation of the operating bar 7 maybe accomplished by any suitable coin-controlled mechani m For the purpose of illustration, I have shown in the accompanying"drawings ahandlever- 19 which proj ects through a slot- 20in the right side of the casing and which is operatively connected with the bar 7' through themediuiii' of the d posited coin. As my present invention is independent of anysp'ecific mechanism for operating the bar 'Zwhich broadly be referred to as a suitable actuating member, I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe any particular form of" coin controlled mechanism which connects the hand lever 19 with the bar 7. A suitable form of such coincontrolled connecting mechanism is fully shown and described in my aforesaid copending' application, Serial No. 877,647 filed December 1'7, 191%, of whichthepresent case is a division. Forthe purpose of this case it will be sufficient to state that the follows ver 19 is pulled down, after the deposit of a proper coin, the bar 7 is pulled downward until the head 15 of the spring l-il rests in the notch 17. During this downward movement of the bar 7 the extension 6 of the lower shelf '-l is rocked forwardly by virtue of its engagement with the tripping portion 10 of the slot 9, with the result that the shelf i is tripped into horizontal position and allows the package to fall into the delivery com partment 23, whence it is withdrawn through a delivery opening in the left side of the casing.

The bar 7 and the lower shelf remain in operated position. At the end of the first movement ,of the bar 7 the crank extension 6 of the lower shelf rests at the bottom of the inactive portion 11 of the slot 9, while the extension 6 of the upper shelf rests at the bottom of the tripping portion 13 of the slot 8. When, therefore,'the bar 7 is next operated, the tripping portion 18 of the slot 8 will rock the upper shelf 4 downwardly to discharge the second package goods. During this second discharge there will be no movement of the previously tripped lower shelf, because the extension 6 thereof rides in the vertical or inactive portion 11 of the slot 9. When the bar 7 is at the end of its second movement, the head-15 of the spring 14- rests in the upper notch 18. The parts remain in this position until they are reset.

I have provided means for automatically closing or obstructing the coin-entrance slot 21 after the lastpackage of goods has been discharged. Across one end of thercoinslot 21 extends the arm 24: of a lever indicated as a whole by L. This lever is pivoted at 25 to framework or bracket 26 secured to the underside of the top plate of the casing by rivets 27 or otherwise. The lever L is also provided with an extension 28 and an arm 29. A spring 30 bears at one end against a fixed lug 31 carried by the bracket 26, and at its other end against the extension 28, so as normally to force the arm 24: of the lever L across one end of the coin-entrance slot 21. Associated with the pivoted lever L is a slidable bar orbolt32 which is normally held in retracted position by the arm 29 of the spring-pressed lever L. The bolt 32 is guided in its movements b tween the side wall 33 of the bracket 26 and the alined studs 31 and 3e'carried by the bracket 26. Between the shoulder 35 of the bolt 32- and the shoulder 36 of the arm 29 is a light expansion spring 37 which is weaker than the spring 30. The bolt 32 is reduced at its forward end to form a projection 38 which is beveled on the underside.

The members L and 32 constitute a washencatching device which operates as When a proper coin is inserted into the coin-entrance opening 21, the edge ofthe CO1. engages the arm of the lever L and forces said arm out of the way, thus rocking the lever against the tension of'spring 30. As soon'ag the coin has been pushed in a little over halfway, the action of the arm 2-l is to snap the coin through the coin-entrance slot into the descending coin-chute beneath. flow, when the inserted check is a rino or washer, or any, disk with an opening in the center, the lever L is rocked as before. However, as soon as the arm 29 of the lever L is moved away from the bolt 32, the snring 37 tends to project the bolt 32 across the coin-slot, and as soon as the opening in the inserted ring or washer comes into alinement with the bolt the projection thereof snaps into the opening of the ring or washer and thereby positively locks the same against further insertion. As the underside of the extension 38 is beveled, the intercepted ring or Washer may be readily withdrawn. In this way I have provided very simple and efficient means for automatically locking a ring or washer against full entrance into the coin-slot 21. The ready insertion of a good coin in the slot 21 is not interfered with by the pressure ofthe bolt 32 against the face of the coin by the action of spring'37, because that spring is very weak and exerts onlv a negligible pressure.

The washer-catching device as above described does not in and of itself form part of my present invention, as it forms the subject-matter of my corpending application, Serial No. 781,072, filed July: 25, 1913,.where a slightly modified form is shown, but where the invention of my new washer-catching device is claimed broadly.

I make use of the. arm 24 of the lever L to automatically close or obstruct the coinentrance slot 21 when the machine is empty, so to prevent the deposit of coins until the machine has been replenished' For this purpose. I have devised means whereby the operating bar 7 so controls the lever L that when the bar reaches its final position (which takes place when the last package is ejected), the lever L is locked in'its normal position, thereby closing the coin-entrance slot. In the particular emb odiment shown in the drawings, the controlling connection between the bar 7 and the lever L consists of a member 39 pivotally mounted on the stud 40 carried by the rear plate of the casing. The member 39' has an inwardly extending arm 4:0 and a downwardly and outwardly curved extension 11. A spring blade 42, fixed at its lower end to the projection d2 of the member 38 and bearing at its upper end againstthe underside of the top of the casing, normallv holds the member 39 in the position shown in Fig. 1. The arm 40 terminates in close proximity to the Kit Q4. The operating bar or member I movement), the project-ion strikes the extension t1 and rocks the arm l0 upwardly into the path of the arm 2-1: of the lever L, with the result that the arm 24 is locked against movement. Broadly speaking, therefore, the coin-entrance slot is closed or obstructed when the operating member 7 reaches a predetermined position. This poi sition will, of course, vary in machines of different capacity. For instance, if the machine had a capacity oi three packages, the

-distance between the extension 41 of the member 39 and the projection 43 of the operating member '7 would. be so gaged that the member 39 would not be rocked into locking position until after the third or last package has been ejected.

Although I have herein described and shown a specific form of machine embodying the invention of my slot-closing mechanism, I would have it understood that I do not intend to be limited to the structure herein set forth, as it is obvious that in its broad aspect my invention may be mechanically carried out in other ways than that shown.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letter Patent or" the United States, is:

1. In a coin-controlled machine, a casing provided with a coin-entrance slot, cointesting mechanism associated with said slot and adapted to be automatically actuated by an entering washer to lock the same against full entrance into said slot, said mechanism yieldably engaging the edge of a proper coin and allowing the same to pass through said slot, a coin-controlled operating device, and means whereby said washercatc-hing mechanism is automatically locked against operation to close said coin-entrance slot when said device reaches a positively predetermined position.

2. In a coin-controlled machine, a casing provided with a coin-entrance slot, a springpressed member normally projecting across one end of said slot and adapted to be actuated by the edge of an entering disk or coin, mechanism controlled by said member for automatically locking an inserted washer against full entrance into said slot, a coincontrolled operatingdevice, and connections between said member and said device whereby said member is automatically locked againstoperation, thereby closin'g said coinentr ance slot, when said device reaches a positivelypredetermined position.

In a'coinecontrolled'vending machine, a casing'provided with a coin-entrance slot and amagazine* for holding the vendable articles,-mechanism arranged at said slot and adapted to be automatically actuatcd'by an enteri-ii g washer oi-ring to lock the same against run entrance into said slot,*a:coin-controlled device for discharging the articles from said magazine, said device including a movable member arranged to occupy a predetermined position when said magazine is empty, and means whereby said washercatching mechanism is automatically locked against operation to close said coin-entrance slot. when the magazine is empty.

4. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a casing provided with a coin-entrance slot, a spring-pressed member normally projecting across one end of said slot and adapted to be moved aside by an entering coin, a magazine within said casing for holding the vendable goods, a coincontrolled operating device for causing discharge of the goods from said magazine, and means controlled by said device for automatically locking said member in slot-closing position when the supply of goods in said magazine is entirely exhausted.

5. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a casing provided with a coin-entrance slot, a spring-pressed member normally projecting across one end of said slot and adapted to be moved aside by an entering coin, a magazine within said casing for holding the vendable goods, a coin-controlled device for causing discharge of the goods from said magazine, and a normally inoperative locking mechanism adapted to be engaged by said device and thereby actuated to lock said member in slot-closing position when the supply of goods in said magazine is entirely exhausted.

6. In a coin-controlled machine, a casing provided with a coinentrance slot, aspringpressed member normally projecting across one end of said slot and adapted to be moved aside by an entering coin, a coin-controlled device adapted to remain in successively operated positions, and means whereby said member is automatically locked in slot-closing position when said device reaches a positively predetermined position.

7. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a shallow and substantially rectangular casing having a coin-entrance slot on top, a member mounted in close proximity to said slot and movable in a plane substantially parallel with said top, a vertically slidable coinwcontrolled bar mounted at one of the walls of said casing and adapted to remain in successively operated positions, and means whereby said member is automatically locked :5 nae-3,511

in slot-closing position when said bar reaches automatically locked in slot-closing position a predetermined position. when said device reaches a positively prede- 8. In a coin-controlled vending machine, termined position. a casing having a coin-entrance slot, a pair In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 5 of movable members mounted in proximity my name this 10th day of January, 1916. 15

to said slot and cooperating to lock an enter ALBERT D GROVER ing washer against full entrance into said slot, while allowing a proper coin to pass Witnesses: through, a coin-controlled operating device, F. E. LANG, 1 and. means whereby one of said members is A. L. DEANE.

Gopiee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

" Washington, D. i3. 

